A Ghost Story
by RoronoaZoSan
Summary: Surprise! ZoSan! Perona tells a ghost story... a few graves on a forbidden hill? Who's are they? how'd they get there? Who knows best but the dead themselves?
1. Chapter 1

Every night, just on the other side of this island, there is a restaurant beside a hill no one is allowed to set foot on. Only one man was seen going to the top of the hill, every night. And every night, someone joins him up there, but no one ever is seen entering the area, aside from the blond cook who ran the restaurant. Seven gravestones stand there, and an eighth grave stands, with three swords as the head stone. The man who that famous cook spoke to every night is believed to be the pirate hunter turned pirate, who died twenty eight years ago. And the graves around that man's burial, slightly newer, are the graves of the crew he was part of for so long. First mate of the Straw Hat Pirates, Roronoa Zoro, died age twenty two, leaving the crew in despair. But rumor has it, that someone heard the two talking, and found that after he died, his soul stayed with the ship for three years before he was buried here.

"Wow! Grandma! That's amazing!" the little girl at the old woman's feet bounced in excitement, her older sister behind her, thinking.

"Hang on now. I haven't finished my story yet." She sighed.

Just three years ago, the cook died. He was buried beside those graves. But the strange thing is… all nine crew members are still seen at night wandering through the town, the swordsman always getting lost, showing up at the restaurant at least an hour after the scheduled time, the cook chasing after him. Once they all arrive, they drink until morning. Then they vanish as if they had never been there.

"Grandma Perona?" the older girl asked thoughtfully.

"Yes dear?"

"You speak so fondly of these men…"

"Two are women." She cut in quickly, before allowing her to continue.

"Ah. You speak so fondly of these pirates that one would think you have met these ghosts…"

"I have. I drink with them frequently. But I know them personally. I was with the swordsman only a year before his death. He trained so hard… such a prideful man…" Perona sighed, tears springing to her eyes at the thought.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to upset you!"

"Of course not! Don't worry! Ask whatever you like." At this point the youngest got bored and ran off to play.

"What were they like?"

"The captain was so bight always, his first mate, the swordsman, was reasonable and calm… though he and the cook always fought. The cook was a Ladies man… got him into loads of trouble… The navigator I didn't like too much. I never really spoke to the others much…except the sniper. He was so negative…" She smiled.

"Reasonable and calm…" she look teasing at Perona. "Your type, eh? What would Grandpa say?"

"Your grandfather ran away with that crazy 'Akagami' Shanks!"

"Sorry, sorry."

"Say… would you like to meet them?"


	2. Chapter 2

The two arrived sat down at the long table at the back of the restaurant, the older one reprimanding the other for getting lost. They filled in the last two spots, next to an old woman and her granddaughter.

"Why hello, lovely lady!" The older one leaned over, grinning. He was immediately smacked in the head by the Swordsman.

"Oi. Luffy's got something to say. Pay attention shitty cook." He did, just as the young man with the straw hat stood, beaming.

"Guys! I had an idea! I don't know what happened to all of you, because I was dead before you guys! Except Zoro, but he hasn't told anyone. So, Let's all tell our stories guys!"

"Good idea!" Robin raised her hand, "I'd like to go first!" Zoro tuned out the stories, not really wanting to hear how the people he had tried to protect for so long had died. Instead he rubbed Sanji's leg, and Sanji covered his thick, tan hand with his own thin, pale one.

"I love you, Sanji." He whispered, leaning over and kissing his cheek lightly. Perona watched them, half listening to the stories, half wondering what would happen with those two. She was actually quite surprise that Zoro had a romantic side, apparently he could be quite smooth if he tried.

"I love you too, Shitty swordsman. But you had to go and die before I could tell you so." Sanji replied, his voice low, they didn't want to interrupt the story telling.

"I don't want to tell them how I died…" Zoro sounded nervous, scared even. "I don't want to… kill my friend again… I killed you… I know I did. And I'm sorry."

"You did kill me. And I won't forgive you for that." Sanji smiled at him. Zoro's chest twisted slightly, even as a mere ghost of his living self (literally!) he could still feel intense love for this man. "But…"

"Sorry, eyebrows… but were both dead now… so did you die of natural causes or what…"

"That wasn't natural at all… It must have been the most painful death a human could have…" Tears began to fall, dripping onto Zoro's hand. Zoro pressed his lips to the blond man's eye lid, wiping away his tears.

"I don't expect forgiveness. But I love you, and I'll do as you ask of me." He stroked the blond man's hair.

"I know you will. You're such a prideful man… dumbass…" During this time, Robin had completed her story and before anyone could start theirs, she stood up.

"Luffy, most of us know how you died… It was in the paper."

"Whoa, how'd Captain die?!" Zoro's expression turned dark, already vowing revenge on the man who killed him.

"I turned myself in to the marines! It was kind of fun!" Luffy explained, excitedly. He didn't expect what came next. In half a second, Luffy hit the wall on the other side of the room, crushing a few tables. Zoro stood, his fist still extended at the level of his captains face.

"Zoro! Why'd you do that?" Nami shouted, rushing over to Luffy.

"He knows why." Zoro sat back down beside Sanji, scowling deeply. Luffy rose and walked back to the table, he sat down quietly and Robin continued hesitantly.

"So we know why he died… What about you two? You're death caused ours in the first place, Zoro. And Sanji, I'd like to know if you died peacefully, unlike the rest of us." She turned to look questioningly at the two of them. The rest of the crew did as well, Luffy with a hand over the side of his face


	3. Chapter 3

FLASH BACK

"ZORO! STOP!" Sanji tried to grab the swordsman's wrist, but his body wouldn't move.

"Take me instead. Kill me, leave my crew alone." Zoro stared up at the man before him.

"Are you their captain?" He asked, his voice slightly deeper than Zoro's.

"No. I'm the first mate." He replied proudly. He set his swords carefully on the ground beside the cook and smiled. He stood in front of his adversary, smiling like he was having the time of his life. "And if you accept my sacrifice, let me die happy knowing I can save them."

"I accept. I won't kill your crew. Would you like time to goodbye?" He may have been aiming to kill them, but he was rather impressed by the younger mans will. Killing anyone he sought to protect would ruin his own pride.

"That won't be necessary. I just want to tell the cook something." HE glanced over his shoulder at the horrified cook.

"Granted."

"Sanji. Tell the others they need to find a new first mate. Tell Captain that I'm sorry. And for your ears only, I love you, shitty cook." He gave Sanji the happiest smile he'd ever seen on his face and turned back to his opponent.

"I love you too! Don't go! We can take him!" Sanji pleaded, trying to stand. A useless attempt, his legs shook and he fell back to the grassy earth.

"No we can't. We're all spent. The crew's out like a light, Captain is barely hanging on to life, and you can't even stand." He pointed out and Sanji grimaced, realizing that that was true.

"But what about you?!"

"Even if I get out of this alive, which I won't, I'd be paralyzed for life. And doesn't that sound boring. I won't even be able to kiss you." Zoro explained, "So I'll die. That's all. I'm done. Bye Sanji." HE spread his arms just like he had done a long time ago for Mihawk. "Kill me."

"I'm impressed." The taller man ginned, before swinging his huge sword in an arc, leaving a deep horizontal slash across Zoro's chest. Zoro stayed standing, his eyes clouding over and his arms dropped to his sides. He whispered one last thing, and it would have been funny if not for the fact that after that he died, still standing. "Real… men die standing up…"

END OF FLASHBACK

**Hey guys. Do you guys want everyone's death stories? The only ones explained in the actual story will be Zoro's (this chapter) and Sanji's (next chapter) let me know if you do! **


End file.
